Sep. 28—The schedule does not get any easier for the No. 4 Idaho Vandals as they head down to sunny California to open Big Sky competition against No. 14 UC Davis at 7 p.m. today.
It is the third consecutive Saturday that the Vandals will face off against a ranked opponent and the fourth time in five weeks that Idaho will be playing a game away from the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
The calendar might read September, but today’s contest has a lot of season-long implications. With six of the 12 teams in the Big Sky Conference ranked in the latest Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, there is very little room for error for any team that has aspirations of a conference title.
Both Idaho and UC Davis have followed a similar path leading into the matchup at UC Davis Health Stadium in Davis, Calif. Both teams are on three-game winning streaks after losing to a Football Bowl Subdivision “Power Four” opponent in the season opener.
“Coach (Tim) Plough has done a good job everywhere he has been. Their defensive coordinator I have a lot of respect for,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said. “I thought they defended us really well a couple of years ago. This will be a challenge, but this is why you get into playing football or coaching football. You like challenges, so it is a good opportunity.”
One-Lan wrecking crew
Senior running back Lan Larison entered the season with a lot of hype. The Caldwell, Idaho, native had 1,101 rushing yards and scored 15 total touchdowns in 2023 and was a Walter Payton Award Finalist last season. The performance aided Larison in being named the 2024 Big Sky preseason offensive MVP.
The 6-foot back has been as advertised in his senior season. Larison has 393 yards on the ground and 196 yards receiving with five touchdowns in the first four games.
His 589 all-purpose yards on offense account for 45.6% of the Aggies’ offense….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-4-vandals-open-big-131100459.html
Author : Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho
Publish date : 2024-09-28 13:11:00
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